Ski binding



May 10, 1938. G. s. sPRAGU sx1 BINDING Filed May 1, 1937 Yigg mw ou m ,22 y InvenTcm Goldwnprogue Patented May 10, 1938 UNITED STATES SKI BINDING Goldwin S. Sprague, Newton,

Mass.; Isabel D'.

Sprague, Newton, Mass., executrix of` Goldwin S. Sprague, deceased Application May 1, 1937, Serial No. 140,174 9 Claims. (Cl. 28m-11.35)

This invention relates to ski bindings and has for its general object to provide an improved ski binding which has a sturdy and rugged construction, and which can be easily adjusted to fit shoes of different widths and shapes.

My improved ski binding comprises a base member adapted to be secured to the ski and a pair of toe irons or clamping members which can be adjusted toward and from each other .to accommodate shoes of different widths and also can be adjusted angularly relative to each other to accommodate shoes of different shapes.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention this adjustment of the clamping members is secured through the medium of adjusting screws which are accessible at the sides of the ski binding, and which are carried by the adjustable toe irons and have screw-threaded engagement with nut members that are carried by the base and are mounted in the base for turning movement about an axis at right angles to that of the adjusting screws.

Y With this construction the manipulation of the `adjusting screws serves to adjust the toe irons toward and from each other, and the swivel connection between the nut members and the base .provides for angularly adjusting the toe irons without producing any binding of the adjusting screws.

In order to give `an understanding of the invention I have illustrated in the drawing a selected embodiment thereof which will now be described after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawing;

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a ski with my improved ski binding attached thereto;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the ski binding with parts broken out to better show the construction;

Fig. 3 is a side view of Fig. 2 with parts broken out;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5-5, Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a View of the bearing member for the adjusting screws.

My improved ski binding comprises a base member indicated generally at I and which is adapted to be secured to the upper face of the ski 2, and two toe irons or clamping members 3, 4 which are adjustable toward and from each other in a manner hereinafter to be described and each of which is formed with the vertical wall 5.

The base member I is shown as formed ci two plates, a lower plate 6 which rests on the upper face of the ski 2 and an upper plate 'I which is spaced from the lower plate. The front and rear ends of the upper plate I are bent downwardly as shown at 8 and then bent laterally to form ledge 1 3 `horizontal portion feet 9 which rest on the lower plate 6. Said plates are connected together in any suitable way as by means of rivets III which extend through the lower plate and the feet 9. The base member is shown as being secured to the ski 2 by means oilscrews Il. The lower plate 6 is provided at each side with an upturned ange I2, the upper of which is spaced slightly from the upper Each toe iron 3, 4 is formed with a I4 which underlies the upper plate 'I and extends through the space between the top edge I3 of the corresponding edge I2 and said `upper plate, said horizontal portion I4 resting on said top edge I3 as shown in Fig. 5.

`Each toe iron or clamping member carries one or more adjusting screws I5 which are swiveled therein and which have screw-threaded engagement with a nut member IB carried by the base I. I preferably employ two adjusting screws I5 for each toe iron and there will, therefore, be two of these nut members I6 for each toe iron. Each nut member is mounted in the base so that it can turn therein about an axis at right angles to that of the adjusting screw, and for this purpose I propose, to make the nuts cylindrical in form with the axis of the cylinder extending vertically or at right angles to the adjusting screw. These I1 plate? 1 `cylindrical nuts are received in apertures formed in the upper and lower plates.

I have stated that the adjusting screws I5 are carried by the toe irons 3, 4 and each adjusting screw is shown as being mounted in its toe iron so that it can be only rotated relative to the iron. Each adjusting screw is shown as `formed with a collar I8 which engages a shoulder I9 formed on the under face of thehorizontal portion I4 of the toe iron, and also with a head 2U which is shown as coming flush with the outer face of the vertical wall 5 of the toe iron and which may conveniently be provided with a Screw driver slot 2l. The toe iron is provided with a bearing 22 which engages the neck portion,23 of the screw between the collar I8 and the head 20, said bearing supporting the screw for turning movement but cooperating with the collar I8 and head 2D to prevent any movement of the screw in the direction of its length relative to the toe iron. One simple and convenient way of forming these bearings 22 is by using a bar 24 of the shape shown in Fig. 6 which `is deformed at its two ends to form the bearings 22. This bar is secured to the under side of the toe iron in some suitable way as by means of spot welding indicated at 25 in Fig. 3, the two deformed ends 22 embracing the necks 23 of the two screws I5 and thus forming the bearings therefor. The horizontal portions I4 of the toe irons are provided with slots 26 in which the nuts I 6 are received, and these slots are preferably curved somewhat, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to allow for free angular adjustment of the toe irons. The adjusting screws I5 are preferably ci such a length that the ends 21 thereof extend beyond the slots 26 and bear against the inner edge of the horizontal portion I4.

The adjusting screws are thus accessible from the outside of the toe irons and they can be manipulated even when the ski is applied to the foot.

Theturning of the adjusting screws I5 causes them to be screw-threaded either inwardly or cutwardiy through the nuts I5, and as the screws are journalled in and secured to the toe irons the longitudinal movement of the screws results in adjusting the toe irons outwardly or inwardly.

the two screws for any toe iron are adjusted to the same extent the toe iron will be moved outwardly or inwardly in parallel lines, but if one screw is turned more than the other, or if one screw is adjusted and the other not adjusted, then angular position o the toe iron is changed. rihis change in angular position is illustrated in Fig. 2 wherein the dotted lines show an adjustment or" the toe iron 3 in which the forward end ci the toe iron has been adjusted outwardly to a greater extent than the rear end. Where one end o the toe iron is adjusted outwardly or inwardly to a greater extent than the other end the toe iron will, during its adjusting movement, have a turning or swinging motion about the nut at said other end. The slots 26 permit this adjusting movement of the toe irons without any interference from the nuts I6 and the curvature of the slots permits the swinging movement oi the toe iron when its angular position is changed.

l/Vith the construction shown, therefore, the toe irons have not only a bodily movement outwardly and inwardly for varying the distance between them but each toe iron can swing about either of the corresponding nuts I6 to provide for the angular adjustments.

While I have illustrated a selected embodiment of my invention I do not wish to be limited to the constructional features shown.

I claim:

l. A ski binding comprising a base member adapted to be secured to the ski, a pair of toe irons, adjusting screws carried by the toe irons, and nut members carried by the base with which the adjusting screws have screw-threaded engagement, each nut member being capable of turning in the base about an axis at right angles to that of the corresponding adjusting screw.

2. A ski binding comprising a base member adapted to be secured to the ski, a pair of toe irons, two horizontally adjusting screws carried by each toe iron, and nut members carried by the base with which the screws have screwthreaded engagement, said nut members being turnable in the base about a vertical axis.

3. A ski binding comprising a base member adapted to be secured to a ski, two toe irons, adjusting screws for adjusting each toe iron, means connecting said screws to the toe irons to permit them to turn while preventing them from movement in the direction of their axes relative to the toe iron, and nut members carried by the base, one for each adjusting screw, each nut member being capable of turning in the base about an axis at right angles to that of the corresponding adjusting screw.

4. A ski binding comprising a base member adapted to be attached to the ski and presenting upper and lower plates spaced from each other, two toe irons, an adjusting screw rotatively carried by each toe iron and situated between the upper and lower plates, and a nut member for each adjusting screw, each nut member having a screw-threaded opening through which the adjusting screw extends and said nut members being carried by the upper and lower plates.

5. A ski binding comprising a base member adapted to be attached to the ski and presenting upper and lower plates spaced from each other, two toe irons, an adjusting screw rotatively carried by each toe iron and situated between the upper and lower plates, and nuts carried by said plates, one for each adjusting screw, each nut being capable of a turning movement in the plates about an axis at right angles to that of the corresponding screw.

6. A ski binding comprising a base member adapted to be attached to the ski and presenting upper and lower plates spaced from each other, two toe irons, each having a vertical flange and a horizontal slotted portion which is situated between said plates, a pair of horizontally extending adjusting screws carried by-each toe iron situated beneath the horizontal portion thereof and between said plates, and nut members with which the adjusting screws have screw-threaded engagement, said nut members being carried by said plates and extending through the slots of said horizontal portions of the toe irons,

7. A ski binding comprising a base member adapted to be attached to the ski and presenting upper and lower plates spaced from each other,

two toe irons, each having a vertical ange and a horizontal portion situated between said plates, a pair of horizontally extending adjusting screws carried by each toe iron situated beneath the horizontal portion thereof and between said plates, and nut members carried by the plates, one for each adjusting screw, each nut being capable of turning in the plates about a vertical axis.

8. A ski binding comprising a base member adapted to be attached to a ski and presenting upper and lower plates spaced from each other, two toe irons, each having a vertical flange and a horizontal portion situated between said plates and in contact with the lower face of the upper plate, horizontally extending adjusting screws carried by each toe iron and situated entirely below the horizontally extending portions thereof and between the latter and the lower plate, and nuts having their upper ends anchored in the upper plate and their lower ends anchored in the lower plate and provided with screw-threaded apertures through which the adjusting screws extend.

9. A ski binding comprising a base member adapted to be attached to a ski and presenting upper and lower plates spaced from each other, two toe irons, each having a vertical ange and a horizontal portion situated between said plates and in contact with the lower face of the upper plate, horizontally extending adjusting screws carried by each toe iron and situated between the lower plate and the horizontally extending portion of the toe iron, and nuts carried by said plates with which the adjusting screws have screw-threaded engagement, said horizontally extending portions of the toe iron having slots through which the nuts extend.

GOLDWIN S. SPRAGUE. 

